Great lesson this last week. Rochelle--Chapter 17--Sealing Power and Temple Blessings

We had a great discussion about President Joseph Fielding Smith's feeling on Temple Work and the blessings that come from having the privlege of attend there.  We talked about the sealing and binding power that comes from making covenants at the temple.  One of the questions I had was from the scripture that says---

"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." 

 "And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers." 

"If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."

(D&C 2:1-3) 

Utterly wasted???  What does that mean?

In section 2--Elijah and the sealing power he restored in the Kirtland Temple were of vast importance to the world.  It is not only for baptisms for the dead alone, but also the sealing of parents and children to parents, so that there should be a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys and powers and glories, from the beginning down to the end of time.  If this sealing power were not on the earth, then confusion would reign and disorder would take place of order in that day when the Lord shall come, and of course, this could not be, for all things are governed and controlled by perfect law in the kingdom of God. 

Why would the earth be wasted? 

Simply because if there is not a welding link between the fathers and the children---which is the work for the dead---then we will all stand rejected; the whole work of God will fail and be utterly wasted.  Such a condition, of course, shall not be.

Great answer!!

We also talked about our salvation, our ordinances for the dead, family history, and the youth getting involved in doing indexing and family history. 

Great lesson.  Thanks Rochelle.  We love you!!!